Indian Air Force will activate Purvanchal Highway emergency runway Wednesday
The Indian Air Force are teaming up to activate an emergency runway on the Purvanchal Highway in Uttar Pradesh this Wednesday.
If regular air bases are ever out of action, this highway strip can double as a landing spot for fighter jets like the Sukhoi-30, Jaguar, Mirage, and helicopters and transport planes.
It's all about making sure our air operations stay strong even in tough situations.
Purvanchal ELF 1 of 28 sites
These Emergency Landing Fields (ELFs) are basically special stretches of road (about 3 to 4km long) that can handle military aircraft if needed.
The Purvanchal ELF is one of around 28 identified sites across 11 states. A cool milestone? In 2021, Prime Minister Modi actually landed here in a C-130J Hercules!
Having ELFs spread out means the military isn't stuck if main bases are threatened—they've got backup options ready to go.